


Castle Fever

by orphan_account



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Mild Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-03-20 17:46:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3659421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lacrima isn't usually one to go on quests, but the Inquisition collectively decides she needs to get out more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Castle Fever

The amount of throw pillows that were popping up in Skyhold could only be described as a plague. Solas's office, the throne, every bed and chair, even the bar benches were adorned with ornate little pillows that made the fortress seem more like the home of a tacky old lady. It was fine when the inquisitor and his company left, with only a few pillows here and there, but upon their return there was pillow chaos.

It's not like Lacrima didn't know people were starting to get annoyed with them all. But she couldn't help with the injured or help fight due to her bloodlust, and nobody had needed her to sew them anything for quite a while. She felt useless, there wasn't enough she could do. She kept the moral in Skyhold up as much as Cole, but between the two of them they managed to do that fairly easily. So Lacrima was left with time on her hands that she didn't know how to spend. She was at a loss at what to do, and so the plague of pillows continued, merely to keep her busy, keep her mind off her own pain, and she found she couldn't seem to stop making the things, despite everyone's anguish.

They had a meeting in the war room about it. Lacrima did not listen in. She was afraid of what they might decide. She wanted to delay the inevitable. She found herself in her little secret library, rifling through books. It was hours later before she heard a voice, and by this time she had picked up every book, scanned through it, and replaced on the shelves at least once.

“You could try actually reading them, for a start.” she didn't have to turn, only two other people in Skyhold knew of this place and only one would be so sarcastic.

“It's no use. I can't concentrate on them. I tried and I read the same sentence a total of thirty times before I gave up.” Lacrima sighed, gently shutting the book in her hands and replacing it on the shelf before turning to Dorian, who was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded. “I want to help, Dorian.” she said, utterly defeated.

“And you do this by reinforcing Skyhold with fancy pillows?” Dorian asked with his usual sly smirk.

“I know. I know everyone is tired of them. You think they're retched.” she sighed.

“Perhaps, but I also think they can be useful. For adorning Solas's office with, for example.” Dorian looked at her and his gaze softened. “You just need to get out of Skyhold. Broaden your horizons, you know? There's only so many people and so much to help with here.”

Lacrima looked at Dorian, examining him. There didn't seem to be any guilt, or remorse in him. He honestly thought she needed to take a trip, he thought she looked stressed, nobody was kicking her out of Skyhold. Her shoulders relaxed.

“Yes...You're right.” she said, nodding slowly.

“Of course I am.” Dorian said, and she smiled softly at him before leaving.

 

She went to Solas, as he seemed particularly tense at that moment. As she arrived in his office, she understood why. There were pillows everywhere. Solas was wading in them just to get to his desk. She immediately started gathering them in her arms and making a pile.

“Leave it all. I'll deal with it later.” Solas said. Lacrima looked up in surprise at the elf.

“I'm sorry, they seemed to be bothering you.” she said. “I want to help. I can get rid of these.” he shook his head in an annoyance.

“No. Don't bother.” she tilted her head at his anger. He was so hard to understand for her. Solas seemed to physically calm before he continued. “No, I have another task at hand I need your help with.”

Lacrima's eyes lit up and she trudged through pillows to approach him.

“I need you to get rocks.” Solas said, managing to sit down at his desk and start writing a scroll.

“Rocks? How many?” she asked, happy to help, but confused by his seemingly trivial task.

“No, not just _any_ rocks. I need very particular rocks. It's for...research. I'm writing down the areas you'll need to search. They need to be grey...and I need fifteen...and they need to be naturally shaped very specifically. I need eight spherical ones, four cubic ones, and...three triangualr prisms. Do you think you can manage that? I'll write it down.” he said, scrawling on his parchment before handing it to her. She accepted it gladly.

“I will go talk to the inquisitor about it immediately.” she said eagerly, heading off.

 

The inquisitor was nice enough to lend her a horse for the journey. As she mounted her steed the sound of another pair of hooves approached her.

“Need some company?” the familiar voice made her smile and she looked at Iron Bull perched awkwardly on a horse.

“I think everyone does once in a while. Can you spare the time?” she said with a faint blush.

“Yes, Boss said it was okay.” Iron Bull chuckled. “Guess you're the boss now.” Lacrima blushed and looked away.

“What a strange experience that will be.” she responded, starting her horse forward.

She knew why Iron Bull really showed up, and she was grateful to him for it. She had been worried about who she might run across on her journey, if she would have to kill anyone. She really couldn't handle blood, and she hated killing anyone. She could always feel them dying, their anguish and pain. It didn't really help that she had come to Skyhold because she was running away from  _him._ She had been worried about what might happen to her until Iron Bull showed up, right on time. Besides, she was fond of his company.

“So what are we doing?” Bull asked, glancing over at Lacrima. Her eyes scanned the terrain before her.

“We have to get rocks for Solas.” she replied, puling the parchment from her bag and tossing it to Bull, trying to keep her eyes on the way before her at the same time. Luckily Iron Bull caught it and read through it.

“Rocks?” he asked, in slight disbelief. She nodded.

“He needs them for research. They are very particular. Certain shapes, from certain locations...” she heard Iron Bull sigh and she tensed. “It was a lie.” she said.

“Yeah, I'd say so.” Bull said.

“But what if it wasn't?” Lacrima asked, looking at Iron Bull with uncertainty. “Why would he ask me to do this, then?” Iron Bull looked at her and paused.

“We all thought you needed to get out, Cream. You were getting pretty riled up in there.”

Lacrima nodded in understanding. She had been doing pretty rough. She had to hand it to Solas for keeping it to himself as well, nobody seemed to know it was a lie. She wondered briefly what he had told them all.

“So do you think we should stay out here for a while?” Lacrima finally asked. They hadn't stopped moving and were gaining more and more ground between Skyhold.

“It's up to you.” Iron Bull said. Lacrima looked at him steadily, examining his features. She did appreciate how much he considered her feelings. He was always sure not to make her sound weak, she knew he didn't  _think_ she was weak. He was urging her to do what she wanted, but she wasn't quite sure. So she looked to something else to decide.

“Rest. The open air and wild flowers, mud seeping into boots, animals scattering wherever you look. Beauty. Refreshing. Just like her. Wish-” Iron Bull cut her off with rather loud coughing. Lacrima smiled softly and blushed. “I guess we're staying out here then. Maybe I'll collect wild herbs for the cook.” she said.

“That sounds like a good plan.”

 

When night approached they set up camp. She pitched the tent while Bull set up a fire. When she was finished, she sat down on the ground beside him, staring into the crackling fire.

“So the tattoos glow, do they?” he asked. She blinked before sighing and taking off her hood to show him the red lyrium tattoos over her right eye. Of course he had seen them before, but amid candlelight or daylight, never in the dark with only a meek looking fire for light.

“Yes, and my eyes. They get brighter when I feel something strongly. Like anger, or sadness...”she said softly. He was examining them, examining her face. “They seem to be safe. I seem to be containing it, I mean. They won't hurt you. I'm always making sure they don't spread.” she said.

Lacrima watched Bull closely before chuckling softly. He was so fascinated by them.

“Go ahead and touch it, just be gentle.” she said. He lightly brushed his fingers against the tattoo under her eye and she gasped in pain, her hand going to his arm instinctively. He ulled away instantly.

“You didn't say it would hurt.” he was almost scolding her.

“It's alright. I don't mind. Besides, it never stops hurting.” she assured him, poking gently at the fire and letting it breathe after a log had crumbled and cut off the oxygen flow.

“But it hurts more when I touch them?” Iron Bull asked.

“Yes, but it hurt more getting them. It almost drove me to madness, to becoming...” she trailed off and let the night air and the crackling of the fire finish her sentence.

“You're strong. You're still a spirit.

“I'm not a spirit, though. I have this demon in me, a demon waiting to take control.”

“But you help people.”

“I'm a compassion demon.” Lacrima said. “Regardless of what Solas says, what he assures me. I'm a mixture of demon and spirit trapped in a human body: a mess.”

“I don't know, the horns are pretty great.” Iron Bull said, and her hand flew up to the curly ram-like horns that was the result of a terrible binding. She felt so stitched together, and she no longer knew where she fit in, or what she was.

“You were afraid of me. When we first met.” She said softly, looking at him.

“Wary. Not afraid. But I'm like that with everyone.”

“You like me because I'm not like Brother.” she stated. “I don't say all the thoughts that come to my head. But I still hear them, just like he does. I can't control that. I wish I could. It bothers you.”

“I just don't like the weird stuff.” Iron Bull grunted.

Once more they sat in silence, staring at the fire. Lacrima pulled a couple of bread rolls out of her bag and handed one to Bull. They ate in silence.

“Bull, are we...What are we?” Lacrima finally asked. Iron Bull chuckled and shook his head.

“I have no idea.” He looked at her, arms resting on his knees. “What do you want us to be?”

“You haven't had sex with anyone since...Would you call it a date? Our first date.” Lacrima stated casually, poking the fire. “You can, if you want. Even if we start romancing each other more seriously. I know I can't give it to you, and if you want-” he handed her a water flask and she blinked at it before drinking.

“I wouldn't do that. You deserve more respect than that.” he said, staring at her hard. Lacrima took a sip of water.

“But isn't it fun for you?” she asked.

“Yes, but so is killing dragons and I don't do that if the boss says the group can't handle it.” he said with a shrug, taking back his water flask and taking a drink.

“Killing dragons is different from sex, though.” Lacrima pointed out.

“Not really...” Iron Bull said, letting out a soft chuckle. Lacrima blinked and blushed at his thoughts.

“Do you actually say that out loud when you kill a dragon?” she asked.

“Yeah.” he chuckled. She shook her head and smiled. Suddenly she got up and brushed herself off. “Going to bed?”

“Yes. It's getting cold out here.” she said, heading into the tent. After a couple minutes Iron Bull called out.

“Do you want to cuddle for warmth?”

“Yes.” came the short reply from the tent, and Bull grinned and doused the fire, heading into the tent after her.

 


End file.
